


Until You Return

by hobbithorse19



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Bard Fic, Bard Story, Bard the Bowman Fanfiction, Bard the Bowman/OC - Freeform, F/M, Hobbit Story, The Hobbit - Freeform, bard the bowman - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2019-08-13
Packaged: 2019-09-13 13:27:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16893480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hobbithorse19/pseuds/hobbithorse19
Summary: Ireth, a highly skilled Dúnedain Ranger, and her group find themselves at a beat down looking town called Laketown on one of their missions. Ireth slowly starts to become attached to a little brown haired girl named Tilda and soon after, collides with her father, Bard. Two different worlds meet and both of their fates will be put to the test.





	1. Intro

Dark, grey clouds covered the sky like a thick blanket, only small pockets of sun peaked through. Tall, birch trees decorated the lands in the northwest. The dense leaves adorned the top where no form of light could pierce its form. Silence always lingered in these dark woods, shrouded in darkness, for this forest was dark indeed. Even it’s tree trunks contorted and twisted in wicked ways and unnatural forms. No fair felled person dared enter the Forest of Brethil, for dark creatures lurked inside. A thick layer of mist hovered above the grounds. No birds could be heard, but just the chilling silence that accompanied the air.

Soft touches suddenly broke the eerie silence. The light crunches softly spoke to those who were near, lightly touching the ground. A dark figure stooped low to the ground, gliding through the fog like a ghost, barely disturbing, barely making a sound. The figure stopped by a tree, hand touching its rough textures. The fingertips slowly grazed on the surface until it came to contact with a wet substance. They felt it between their fingers, knowing fully well what it was. The figure advanced forward, fast, but swift to not bring disturbance. They weaved between the trees, gracefully leaping over fallen logs. Every now and then, they’d crouch down, hand hovering over disturbed land, following its target. They picked up the pace, knowing they were not far behind, but getting closer. The liquid that was from the tree increased as small puddles appeared on the ground. The figure suddenly stopped. The fog slowly encircled them, as if caught in a silent trap. The figure closed their eyes and remained still, feet planted firmly on the ground, feeling the earth, waiting. Their breathing became slower and steadier to listen. Though the forest held no sound, the figure could hear even the slightest breath of wind or the smallest steps of the creatures that lurked the grounds. A creak echoed from their right, but they remained still. Where the sound came from, was a giant beast. It was the size of a horse with matted, dark fur. Its claws were chipped and bent in some areas, but still remained sharp. A long, thin tail hung low to the ground. Sharp, wolf like teeth appeared in a low growl as its yellow eyes glaring at the figure standing not far from it. Three arrows stuck out of its thick hide, dark blood dripping down from the tips of its fur. The figure had been hunting down this creature for miles. It caused much despair for a local village, killing innocent villagers and livestock. The figure was called upon to put an end to the beast for good.

The beast slowly walked around trees, encircling the figure like a preditor who trapped its prey. It crouched lower to the ground, finding the perfect moment to strike. Teeth bared and claws ready, it quickly lunged forward towards the still figure, but they knew this was coming, for they instantly shifted to the side, simultaneously drawing their sword, and striking the beast as it passed by. The creature yelped in pain as it landed on the ground for it was cut in the ribcage. The beast became quickly enraged as each time it tried to lunge at the figure, they evaded it, while still hitting it every time with its weapon. The beast was running out of time, breath and patience. Blood splatters littered the ground more and more with each strike. So it thought of a last minute attack by running swiftly back and forth, appearing like a swift blur, but the figure remained still. They kept their eyes on the beast’s movements, curious to see what it would do next. The beast quickly ran towards a large tree stump, jumping to the top, and used its hind legs to push its body from the trunk. It flipped its body around so it was in the air and about to land on the figure, teeth ready for the attack. Though the beast thought it was fast, the figure was faster. With one swift movement from their sword, when the beast got close enough, they twirled their body up and through, the blade making contact with the beast’s neck. The figure crouched down upon the same time the beast fell to the ground, sword extended with black blood dripping from the blade. The figure stood and used their cape to wipe off the blood from their weapon. They looked to the beast next to them, a pool of blood forming under its neck. The figure was about to make a move until it froze upon hearing something else. They stood still, listening intently, but soon realized who made the sound.

“You finally caught up with me, old man,” said the figure, their voice muffled by the cloth wrapped around the bottom of their face, as they turned to the left, facing a nearby tree. A soft chuckle came from behind it then a figure appeared from behind and walked towards the other.

“Nothing definitely escapes your senses, does it?” it was a man’s voice. He came next to the other figure then looked at the dead creature next to them.

“Well done with this wretched creature,” said the man.

“It was clever in the beginning, but became restless and too eager here, thus bringing it to its own demise. Though why you instructed only for the two of us to handle this one is beyond me. You’d think our Captain would have more sense of mind then that,” the figure joked as they settled their weapon back in its sheath then started to walk down a nearby path. The man following after.

“I had to make sure my First Lieutenant knows how to do the job right, which you do every time to perfection… Ireth.” Ireth turned her head so she was looking after him as they continued to walk. They stopped when a tiny pocket of sunlight surprisingly shone from above the treetops. Ireth stopped underneath of it, her blue eyes contrasting against the soft, yellow glow but hidden under her dark hood.

“And after all these years, after all we’ve been through, you don’t trust my abilities to get the job done?” she said, placing her hand on her chest in a mockingly manner. The man smiled softly then placed his hand behind her neck, in an encouraging, loving manner.

“I trust your skills completely. It was me who trained you after all… we ‘old folks’ have to stick together, after all,” he joked as he shook her neck a little then let go.

“Now those villagers can be at peace, take time to mourn for their lost loved ones,” Ireth said as she closed her eyes, speaking a silent prayer in her head. They continued onward through the thick woods until they finally emerged out into an open field, the grey clouds still blocking the sky.

“Why did you come, Alliser? Why did you really want it to be the two of us for this mission” Ireth asked.

“Cause we have another duty to perform,” he said as he walked before her to the field.

“Where?”

Alliser kept walking but said behind his shoulder, “Laketown.”

 


	2. Chapter 1

For the first time since winter descended upon the town that sat atop the lake, the sun was able to peek through the thick clouds that endlessly hung in the sky. Peaks of the yellow glow dappled different parts of Laketown, illuminating it in a spot of warmth. The winters in Laketown were usually bitter, people finding it hard to get more blankets for their families and food to last. But this year, the winter was harsh, with sharp winds winding through and around the buildings, snapping at anyone who was in its path. It was hard enough as it was that the Master of Laketown hoarded all the wealth of the town for himself and left the townsfolk to fend for themselves. How do people live like that? How is there any hope for a brighter future when each day is a struggle to find the simple necessities to survive? Many thought that as their lives seemed desolate. But for a few, who believed in the little things, the small moments that life can bring you, they held on. They still had hope amongst their miserable days. So as the small pockets of sun shone through, they looked to the sky, seeing it as a sign that things will get better, even when the road right now seems dark.

One spot of light shone on a little shop that looked like a shack, but inside held many tapestries, rugs, blankets with elaborate pictures, writings, untold stories, histories of many cultures. The old man that owned the shop spotted the light as it shone down through a hole that was in the ceiling, landing on his hand. His emerald eyes looked down at the yellow glow on his hand, it’s warmth reminding him of a person he knew a long time ago. Whenever he held the person’s hand, their warmth engulfed his entire being and it gave him a sense of comfort, encouragement. He smiled at the memory as the clouds overhead closed the spot, the little glow slowly disappearing.

On the other side of the town, a tall man with dark hair, wearing a big, brown coat, a grim face adorning his features, was walking down one of the pathways when one of the sunspots slowly lightened before him. He stopped right below the light and for some reason, he felt he was compelled to stop. He brought his hand up, opening it so his palm caught the sun’s light. Though his hand was covered in a glove, he could feel the warmth seeping through and onto his hand. A small smirk appeared on his face at the feeling. For some reason he felt a small sense of comfort encouragement..hope with this tiny little spot of light, but it was quickly ended when he heard the familiar march of the Master’s guards. The clanging of their metal hitting the wooden floors could be heard from anywhere. He quickly darted to the side, hiding behind a building’s pillar. Bard was his name and he had no good tidings with the Master of Laketown.

He often found himself being chased by his guards all over the town, for no apparent reasons, except he was highly unliked. Bard expected the guards to come down towards him, but they were going down a path on the other side of the building. He quietly walked over to the other side and as he got closer, he heard the other townsfolk whispering, hushed voices when the guards walked by. Bard was curious as to what the commotion was, so with his back against another pillar, he slowly peeked his head out. He saw the Captain of the guard in the front, but what he didn’t expect were who was behind him. As they got closer, Bard could see who they were. Three figures clad in black, their hoods over their heads and their capes trailing behind them. The tallest one was behind the captain of the guards and the two others were right behind him and two more guards behind them. Bard couldn’t see their faces for they had cloth wrapped below their eyes. Their eyes were piercing, sharp like the edge of a blade. They carried weapons, swords hung at their sides and quivers of arrows and bows on their backs. There was one other man who didn’t look like the three others, as he was being held by his coat and being pushed along with them. As they were nearing where Bard stood, a spot of light shone down next to the captain as he passed by, but one of the dark figures, the smaller of the three, passed underneath of it. For a brief moment, Bard was able to see the figures eyes, a penetrating color as the blue shone from under their hood, though he could see spots of navy in their eyes as well. Bard quickly hid behind the pillar as they passed by. He also noticed more of the townspeople were following after them, curious about their new, strange looking visitors. Bard too was curious, but he got a bad feeling from just seeing them for the first time, so he decided to follow as well. 

 

~~~

 

The Captain led their new visitors to an elaborate looking building that as in the center of the town. As they approached, more and more townspeople gathered to see who these new people were and what they were doing here. The Captain signaled the three figures to stop as they neared the steps. The two guards that were stationed by opened the door and through came the Master of Laketown. He was a tall man, but also large in his mid section. His auburn hair hung in front of him, reaching past his shoulders. With wispy looking eyebrows, twisted mustache and a patch of facial hair on his chin, he was the most lavishing looking person there. Thick, winter fur hung on his shoulders, comfy pants. His shirt underneath clean and smooth and his neck adorned with lavishing jewels. If his attire didn’t say what kind of man he was, his eyes certainly did. You could see the greed and lust for riches peaking from the corners of his eyes. A man only after himself and the wealth of his own being. And a sulky looking man stood next to him. He had dark hair that hung above his shoulders and he too was clad in black clothing, but held similar embellishment on the fabric like of the master. A weird, square looking hat sat on his head, flaps hanging down to cover his ears. A unibrow stretched from one eye to the other, creating a black, hairy line below his forehead. This man was the Master’s Deputy, Alfrid. The townspeople grew quiet as the Master stood before the steps of his home. And Bard stood in the back of the crowd, a little higher up so he wouldn’t be seen by the Master, but could see what was going on.

“What is the meaning of this?” he asked his Captain.

“We found these folk outside the gates, sir. Saying they had urgent matters to discuss with you.” The Master looked at the four figures before him, squinting his eyes, trying to make a visual judgement about them. The tallest of the figures stepped forward, taking his hood off his head and lowering the fabric from his face. His features were deeper than most, heavy aging bags under his eyes, crows feet at each side. His hair was cut short, various hues of white and grey. His deep grey eyes looked at the Master before him.

“My name is Alliser. My company and myself traveled far from the North to bring ill news of what will be coming your way.” Both the Master and Alfrid looked at him with questionable glares.

“What do you mean what will be coming our way?” asked Alfrid

“I do not want to alarm yourself or your townsfolk, but there’s danger coming,” answered Alliser.

“Danger? What danger?” asked the Master. You could hear the people around them whispering.

“We have received word that a group of mercenaries are headed this way to retrieve gold from the Lonely Mountain, no matter the costs… or casualties in human lives.” The people around them gasped and began to grow worried upon hearing the news. The Master noticed this. Even bard frowned upon hearing the news.

“This is ridiculous! No one dares enter that mountain with that blasted dragon still inside!”

“Like I said, they are mercenaries. Trained men. Skilled in the art of stealth. Not even a sleeping dragon would be able to hear them. They will enter that mountain, take the gold and leave. They won’t care if it awakens and brings down ruin to these lands.” Now the townspeople were growing worried, scared even. They don’t want that dragon to awaken cause if it did, it would be the end of all of them.

“You’re lying. They’re lying, sir. There’s nothing to fear, my good people” said Alfrid. Bard rolled his eyes at Alfrid trying to “keep the peace.” “You probably just want the gold all to yourself,” he said as he stepped down the stairs towards Alliser, leering at him, trying to make himself seem tough. But one peircing look from Alliser made Alfrid twitch with fear.

“I don’t lie,” said Alliser to Alfrid in a threatening tone.

“How are we to believe your words?” asked the Master. Alliser looked at him and said,

“Cause we have proof.” Alliser motioned his hand forward, one of the hooded figures next to him pushed the other strange man forward. Alliser grabbed the man by the back of his neck and stood the man beside him.

“Tell this Master what your dealings are here.” When the man didn’t respond, Alliser punched his pointer finger and thumb together on the base of the man’s head, where pressure points are, it cause the man to get a shot of pain to his head. The man grunted and Alliser released his grip a little, waiting for the man to respond.

“A group of us were paid a large sum of money to retrieve gold from the Lonely Mountain. If we were to disturb the dragon’s sleep, we were to do nothing and leave.” The people gasped at the man’s words and the Master thought on it.

“What if he’s one of your men?” asked Alfrid, still not believing Alliser’s words. To prove it, Alliser added more pressure to the man’s pressure points to the point he was in so much pain, he fell to his knees.

“I highly doubt it,” said the Master’s Captain. The Master continued to think about what Alliser and the man said.

“How do we know you people are skilled enough to take on these ‘mercenaries?’ asked the Master. Alliser gave them a mock smirk.

“I see you still don’t believe my words. Fine then, I shall let him go and we will leave.” The slightest release of pressure on the man’s neck was all he needed to escape. He shot to his feet and was quick to turn around. The Master gasped, at the very last moment second guessing his decision. But all of a sudden, the smaller of the hooded figures, being Ireth herself, uses her foot to kick at the man’s calf, causing his leg to slide underneath him. But this man was quick to regain his posture, twirling his body to regain his balance and all the while, with his elbow up, about to strike Ireth. Everyone around them backed away to give them more space. Ireth was quick with her hands, blocking the man’s elbow attack with her palm. She uses her other hand to extend her pointer finger and ring finger to quickly jabbing it into one of the pressure points in the man’s side. The man instantly fell to his knees as he felt pain in his side.

He quickly regained himself and threw a few more punches at Ireth, which was equally blocked. All the people were amazed by the skills from both people. The man grew tired and drew out a hidden knife and swiftly, held the blade to the Ireth’s throat. Everyone stood still as tension began to creep into the air. Ireth stood still but squinted her eyes as a gleam seemed to appear in them. The man was wondering why this figure was giving him such a look when he had a blade right at their neck, but soon realized as he felt the tip of their blade slowly inching into his skin on his side. When did this figure pull out a knife, especially breaking through his clothing and piercing his skin already? Ireth inched the blade enough until the man dropped the knife and groaned in pain. She quickly removed the blade but then took her elbow and knocked it into the man’s face, making him stumble backwards. Two of the Captain’s guards grabbed the man and held him tight. Ireth turned around, facing the Master and held her knife up to clean the blade. To those close by could see the tip had a bit red on the metal. Ireth then put their knife back in its sheath as Alliser walked to stand next to her.

“Who is that?” asked the Master, pointing towards Ireth.

“This is my First Lieutenant, a loyal, skilled warrior, as you have witnessed. All my companions are highly skilled in their trade.” After seeing what Alliser’s companion did to the man, he was more convinced that if there indeed was trouble heading their way, these figures would be able to handle them. Amongst the crowd was the old man from the tapestry shop. He squinted his eyes in thought, looking at the First Lieutenant deeply. He contemplated whether he recognized those moves before, but he couldn’t quite recall.

“And I presume your means of payment is with money?” asked the Master.

“That won’t be necessary,” regarded Alliser. This confused everyone around them, especially the Master. Alliser’s other men took their stances next to him.

“Then, what do you want in return?” asked Alfrid.

“All I ask is if I could have some of my men stationed here, under the leadership of my First Lieutenant, while myself and the rest of my men stay on the outskirts of the lake. My men will keep their eyes out at all times and they will not have any dealings with your people, if you wish it so. You will not need to worry about them, they know how to take care of themselves.” The Master thought on Alliser’s offer and the people looked to him, eager to know his answer.

“How did you get here anyway?” asked the Captain to Alliser.

“This man was kind enough to let us use his boat, that he already had stationed on the edge of the lake.” Most people smiled or gave a small laugh, knowing he probably caught him and just took the boat themselves.

After much thought on the Alliser’s proposition, the Master smiled and said,

“We welcome you and your fellow companions, Alliser. Welcome to Laketown!” Some of the townsfolk cheered and clapped, feeling much safer now that these skilled strangers were there to look after them, especially if there was danger coming. While others were not so convinced. By the way these people looked, how mysterious and sketchy they seemed, they weren’t too quick to trust them. Especially Bard, who witnessed the whole scene as well. The figure who went against the man was the same one he saw under the sunlight spot. He felt slightly more comforted knowing these strangers will leave everyone alone. No one carrying weapons ever brings comforting tidings, but he was also unsettled that these mercenaries truly were coming by Laketown to get into the Lonely Mountain for its gold and treasures. He just wanted his family to be safe and he knows only himself can be up for the task, not these strangers.

The Master asked his guards to escort the man to their prison and motioned for Alliser and his companions to follow him into the building behind him to discuss arrangements. Alliser and his company followed the Master up the stairs and as they were walking by, Alfrid gave a sneering look to Ireth, which she returned with a quick side look, which caused Alfrid to twitch. Ireth smirked under the fabric on her face, knowing he was still startled by Alliser’s threat earlier. Once they made it up the stairs and through the door, their silhouettes slowly disappeared behind closing doors.

 


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s Chapter 2! I’m so, so sorry Bard hasn’t made much of an appearance thus far in the story, but don’t worry, after the encounter in this chapter, he’ll be officially showing up more often! I hope you enjoy!

It had been a few days since the mysterious figures arrived at Laketown, informed the Master of the mercenaries’ plan and made refuge in the town. And as the deal was made, half the men would remain in Laketown while the others were on the outskirts of the lake, double pairs of eyes on the lookout. The Master made an agreement with Alliser that there would be minimal contact between his people and the townsfolk. Each side would mind their own business and not bother the other… which did not last long.

One chilly, winter morning, the town was bustling with noises of the people at the markets, selling their merchandise and others looking to buy. Two brunette haired girls could be seen walking past the shops, looking through the different venders. One was smaller, her hair pulled into a small ponytail. Her brown eyes held the innocence a child her age should have, as she gleamed at one vendor that sold various dolls and toys.

“Tilda, you don’t need those. You already have the doll you’re carrying. Da gave us a list, so we must stick with it,” mentioned the taller, brunette girl next to her. A piece of her hair from the front of her head was twisted until it lead down, connecting to the low bun that hung from the bottom of her head.

“But Sigrid, that little bunny doll looks so cute!! And Esmerelda wants a friend,” Tilda said as she motioned to the doll she had wrapped in her hands.

“We don’t have the money for toys. We need to be careful with what we spend it on.” The two girls continued their shopping in the market, then was on their way home. Unknown to them, Ireth was standing nearby the market, hidden in the shadows, keeping an eye out. Her blue eyes slowly scan every inch of the area before her. Mercenaries have hidden in crowds before, blending in plain sight. Since she was a ranger, living practically her whole life in the wild, all her senses have grown stronger. She can hear the smallest sounds, see the instant movements. She keeps surveying until she stumbled upon the two girls. Her attention was drawn more to the little girl, who she overheard was named Tilda, and the older girl named Sigrid. Ireth smiled a little at the innocence Tilda seemed to possess, but it was the spirit that in her eyes that intrigued Ireth. Hope, love, a fighting spirit, but also shyness, curiosity resignated in the little girl’s eyes. Ireth eyed them as the two girls finished their shopping then made their way down a separate path going away from the markets. Ireth’s eyes remained on their forms, but then noticed three tall boys followed after the girls. Ireth knew her orders were to stay away from these people, but she had a bad feeling about those boys, so like a shadow in the dark, she followed them.

As Sigrid and Tilda made it around a corner of a building, Tilda was not fully paying attention as she felt herself bump into someone. She looked up to find a pair of green eyes looking down at her, a mischievous grin on his face.

“Oh, hello Tommy, I didn’t see you there,” commented Tilda.

“Of course you didn’t. You were too distracted in your thoughts of fairy tales and toys,” Tommy snickered.

“She was talking with me!” Sigrid mentioned as she stepped in front of Tilda, knowing well aware Tommy was a kid up to no good, the “bully” of the town. Two more boys suddenly appeared behind the girls. Ireth was hidden in the shadows, a few feet behind the boy that she heard was named Tommy

“What do you want?” asked Sigrid.

“I just wanted to talk to your sister, Sigrid, though that’s none of your business.”

“When you bring ill will towards my little sister, it’s definitely my business!”

“Butt out!” Tommy said as he pushed Sigrid out of the way, the two boys behind them grabbing each of Sigrid’s arms, holding her in place. Tilda slowly looked up at Tommy while he looked down at the object in her hands.

“What is it you have here?” he asked as he quickly snatched the doll from Tilda’s hands. Fear filled her eyes as Tommy’s action caught her by surprise. Ireth saw this motion as she furrowed her brows in irritation.

“That kid needs to learn some respect,” she thought to herself.

“Tommy, give her back!” said Tilda as she tried to reach for her doll, but Tommy was much taller than her, easily able to lift his hand up higher, the doll out of Tilda’s reach. This happened for a few moments where Tilda tried to reach for her doll and Tommy teased her by lowering it then when she was close, quickly raising his hand higher. Sigrid tried to break away from the boy’s grip on her arms to help Tilda, but they were too strong. Tommy, paying more attention to Tilda struggling then his surroundings, failed to realize one of the floorboards behind him was out of place. As he started backing up, his heel hit the piece of board sticking up, causing him to stumble a bit. Tilda took this opportunity to reach forwards and grab her doll. When Tommy felt her hold on the doll, his grip tightened and it soon became a tug of war between Tommy and Tilda.

Ireth was becoming increasingly annoyed with this boy’s behavior and was about to step in when trouble quickly arose before she knew it. Tilda’s back was facing the edge of the dock, the icy waters inches from where she stood. All of a sudden, Tommy shoved towards Tilda with a bit more force than expected, causing her to be jerked back, losing her grip on the doll. Sigrid’s eyes widened in fear as she saw her little sister start to fall backwards towards the icy water and she couldn’t do anything to help her. Tommy did absolutely nothing as she watched the little girl fall as well. Tilda’s eyes became filled with fear as she felt her body begin to fall back, anticipation filling her senses as she waited to become emerged with the cold water.

Luckily Ireth was close by and quick enough to act. When out of the corner of the children’s eyes, they saw a flash of black pass by them towards the edge of the dock. Tilda closed her eyes, tensing her muscles to prepare for the collision with the water, when all of a sudden, she felt an arm wrap around her body. She quickly opened her eyes to see a figure clad in black had grabbed hold of her. Their head was covered by a hood and a cloth wrapped around their face so she couldn’t see their features very well, except their eyes. Intense, strikingly blue eyes looked into Tilda’s deep brown ones. The intensity in the stranger’s eyes wasn’t threatening or frightening, but fearless, hopeful, reassuring, for Tilda was going to be alright. This stranger was going to make sure of it.

Since Ireth had grabbed Tilda with her right arm, she used her core strength to twist her body to the left, while using her arm strength to push the girl forward and back onto the dock. Ireth had shoved Tilda towards Tommy, her body bumping into his, and causing them both to fall to the ground. But luckily, Tommy’s body cushioned Tilda’s fall. With the force Ireth used to push Tilda back onto the dock, it caused her to be shoved back, taking the girl’s fallen momentum and thus, causing her to fall into the water. Ireth had to act fast, continuing to rotate her body to the left to grab hold of the side of a dock that was sticking out close by. But this didn’t prevent her lower half from being submerged into the water. She let out a deep hiss as her lower half entered the icy liquid, small waves crashing against her body. She inwardly groaned at how cold the water truly was. Ireth loved the cold and could tolerate it pretty well, but not icy cold water. Not like this.

“Damn. It,” her thoughts chattered to herself as her whole body was covered in goosebumps.

All the children froze in their spots as they could clearly see the black, cloaked figure before them. They recognized this person as one of the strangers that came to their town a few days ago with the news about the mercenaries. Ireth grabbed a better hold of the side of the dock, hoisting her body up from the water, into a crouching position. As she did this, a breath of cold air blew by her, sending sparks of cold striking her body. She quietly groaned to herself as she felt as if she was being bitten by Jack Frost. She took a few deep breaths as she rose to her feet and turned to look at the children, who were frozen where they stood, eyes widened. Ireth slowly walked closer to them, Tommy and Tilda instantly rising to their feet in fear of the upcoming stranger. Ireth stopped a few feet from Tommy and Tilda. She knew she shouldn’t do this, but she felt like she had to as she turned her eyes towards Tommy, her sharp, blue eyes looking straight into his green ones, sending him a threatening glare. Tommy’s body began to shake at the intense stare coming from this scary stranger. Though Ireth’s head was facing Tommy, her eyes then wavered towards the two boys holding Sigrid, giving them a similar threatening look. The boy’s bodies began to tremble at the look in the figure’s eyes. They instantly released Sigrid and darted in the other direction. Ireth motioned her eyes back to Tommy’s, as if to say “leave, now!” When Tommy didn’t respond or move, one twitch up of Ireth’s eyebrow was all the encouragement he needed, dropping the doll in front of Ireth and running away.

With her hands now free and Tommy gone, Sigrid lunged forward and grabbed her sister, pulling her away. Sigrid moved Tilda behind her, guarding her from the stranger before them.

“You stay away from us, you hear! We’ll call the guards on you!” threatened Sigrid towards Ireth. Tilda peaked her head from behind Sigrid’s body, but her eyes were towards her doll that was on the ground. Ireth followed Tilda’s gaze to the doll before her. She slowly crouched down and gently picked up the doll, all the while, was able to hear Tilda’s silent gasp. Her body began to tense up again as fear settled into her features, fearing now she’ll never get her doll back. Ireth looked at the doll in her hand, turning it around, inspecting it. She used her other hand to carefully wipe away the dirt from the doll’s clothes, making sure it wasn’t too dirty. Ireth then looked up at Tilda, slowly extending her hand outwards towards her with the doll in it.

The stranger’s action slightly confused the girls, but they took it as no true threat. I mean, this person just prevented Tilda from falling into the lake. Sigrid could see the person’s actions were harmless, but she didn’t trust him, tightening her grip on her sister. Though Tilda was hesitant and slightly afraid, she still moved her eyes towards the stranger’s eyes. She did not see the threatening glare they had given Tommy and the boys before, but these eyes were soft, welcoming. The eyes were as blue as the summer sky, warm and inviting. It was a similar look the stranger gave her when she caught Tilda before falling into the water. For some reason, this gaze comforted Tilda as she shook from her sister’s grip and started walking towards Ireth.

“Tilda, don’t!” Sigrid whispered as she tried to grab hold of her sister, but Tilda turned her head towards her sister, as if to tell her to trust her, that everything was going to be fine, that this person didn’t seem to want to hurt them. Sigrid saw her sign and though reluctant with her decision, she nodded her head for her to proceed. Tilda looked towards the figure who remained as they were, offering the doll back to its original owner. She inched slowly to Ireth until she was within arm’s reach. She hesitantly reached her hand forward, but reluctancy caught up and she recoiled her hand back. Tilda was trying to be brave, but this was a complete stranger she was in front of and her confidence was suddenly flowing away. Ireth remained still and patient, realizing she was scared to fully approach her.

Ireth decided it would be best to let the doll down on the ground for the girl to pick it up herself. Using her eyes, Ireth signaled to Tilda that she was going to put the doll down. Tilda nodded her head in response as Ireth lowered her hand to the ground, letting the doll gently slide from her hand. Ireth took a few steps back until she was standing up to her full height, Tilda and Ireth’s eyes still locked on each other. Ireth nodded slightly as she turned around and begun to walk down the path. Tilda quickly grabbed her doll and returned to Sigrid’s side, all the while, watching the figure disappear into a dark alleyway. Both Sigrid and Tilda thought it was strange this person came to their rescue. From what they’ve seen of these newcomers, they wore dark clothes, carried weapons and was always seen with grim, dark expressions on their faces. They did not expect such an act of kindness to come from one of them. Maybe this person was different? Sigrid didn’t settle on the thought for long, grabbing Tilda’s hand and leading them towards their home. But the thought never left Tilda’s mind, the color of the stranger’s eyes and the look it gave her left an impression.

Once Ireth was out of sight from the girls, she stopped next to a pile of boxes that were stacked in between a few building pillars. She formed her hands into fists as she tried to stop her body from trembling, her wet clothes clinging to her body, reluctant to let go. Her legs felt like ice with every movement she took and the added wind didn’t help the situation either.

“Of course, the first lieutenant had to be the one to break the rules, to stay away from the town’s people,” she sighed as she unclenched her hands and slowly rubbed them on her face, all the while, shifting her weight back and forth on her feet, hoping blood circulation would prevent her feet from getting frostbite.

“I’m definitely going to get an ear full from Alliser about this,” she groaned to herself. She huffed out some air from her lungs, to try to relax her body, but with no success. The white mist from her breath lingering in the air in front of her, slightly swaying in the wind until it completely disappeared.

“You should change your clothes so you don’t catch cold,” came the sound of a deep, raspy voice. Ireth froze where she stood at the words spoken to her. She stayed still for a few moments, wondering if this sudden person was going to attack her or thought it was funny to surprise her, but then furrowed her brows, thinking she had recognized the voice. But it couldn’t possibly be…. Could it? Ireth turned her body towards where the voice came from and out of the shadows emerged an old man, the same man who owned the tapestry shop. Ireth smiled and huffed slightly, looking down at the ground.

“Well, I’ll be damned.”

“You will be if you don’t change your clothes soon. If you haven’t noticed already, winter in Laketown is never kind to folks around here,” commented the man. Ireth smiled as she shook her head in disbelief then met eyes with the man before her.

“It’s been a long time, Theo.“

“It’s good to see you, Ireth,” Theo said with a small smile on his face.


End file.
